Saleh Fareed

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia consumes an estimated 3.3 million of desalinated water per day from plants powered by 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, according to an expert.



Dr. Raed Bkayrat, Vice President for the Kingdom at First Solar, said: “To meet the rising water demands in a region that is typically arid, governments have turned to large scale desalination and wastewater treatment.



Notably, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region accounts for about 38 percent of the world’s desalination capacity, with Saudi Arabia being the largest producer of desalinated water.”



He furthered explained that Saudi Arabia’s rapidly rising population, urbanization and industrial development and large investments in social and physical infrastructure, have exerted demand pressure on the existing water resources.



He noted that affordable, clean energy and ready access to freshwater are also arguably two of the most pressing challenges for the Middle East.



“Studies suggest that, today, the average citizen in the region has access to a little over 1000m3 of renewable freshwater, as compared to a global average of over 7000m3.



In fact, according to the World Bank, 14 of the world’s 20 most water-scarce countries are in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region,” he said.



To further intensify the issue, he pointed out that experts estimate that domestic water demand will be more than triple over the next three decades as a result of a growing population, rapidly developing urban economy and projected climactic changes.



He said: “In fact, the desalination process, by nature, is highly energy-intensive; in RO systems, energy consumption can account for almost 30 percent of the cost of desalinated water.



Furthermore, if desalination is powered by hydrocarbons, as is the case in the Middle East, the opportunity cost — the economic value difference between domestically consuming fossil-fuels and exporting them internationally — is significant. For instance, Saudi Arabia consumes an estimated 3.3 million m3 of desalinated water per day, from plants powered using 1.5 million barrels of oil, per day.”



In the face of this mounting challenge, he said “let’s not forget that the Middle East is fortunate to receive some of the highest levels of solar irradiance on the planet, a natural resource that is unlimited in supply, renewable by nature and inherently clean.



Hence, while the region has a majority of the world’s most water-scarce countries, it also made up of countries which receives more sunlight than most other parts of the world.”



To meet this rising problem, Bkayrat announced that a number of Middle East nations are exploring the potential of solar energy as a solution to the region’s energy challenges, especially for desalination and water treatment.



He explained that solar can reliably complement conventional energy sources — particularly, in terms of addressing peak energy needs, or peak load shaving — and help offset the use of conventional fuels for domestic consumption, thus freeing hydrocarbons for export and reducing reliance on imports.